A FUND-RAISING variety night planned for Kendal Town Hall had a sudden change of venue when it was discovered that one of the acts needed a special licence.

The event went ahead at Kendal Cricket Club and raised £224 for meningitis research, writes Helen Long.

But with the town hall venue advertised on posters, leaflets and tickets, only an estimated 50 people attended the event.

Organiser Frances Wilson of Burland Grove, Kendal, had hoped to attract larger numbers and raise more money for

the Meningitis Research Foundation.

Mrs Wilson, who has suffered from meningitis herself, said she was shocked when she was told by Kendal Town Hall management that she would have to find another venue after she had been planning the event for five months.

"I was told that a special licence was needed for the hypnotist act and that it would take 28 days to get it.

But that left me just one week to find another venue.

I felt it was all going to go wrong," said Mrs Wilson.

Fortunately Kendal Cricket Club came to the rescue, but a few people had asked for their money back as they didn't know what was happening, she added.

The cricket club, on Shap Road, was also a longer journey for people without transport compared to the town hall, said Mrs Wilson, who has written a letter to The Westmorland Gazette this week to thank the people who supported her event.

Principal licensing officer for South Lakeland District Council Steve Wearing confirmed that a special licence was needed for a hypnotist act in a public place, which took 28 days to obtain.

This was so that checks

could be made on the

hypnotist, including previous performances, in order to safeguard the public.

The conditions were standard and were followed by councils throughout the country.

But Mr Wearing emphasised that SLDC had not closed the event down.

He suggested that there had been a breakdown in communication about the hypnotist act which had led to alternative premises being sought.